Singapore PM under pressure as speaker quits over scandal
SINGAPORE Singapore opposition parties urged Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong on Thursday to call a by-election after the
parliamentary speaker abruptly resigned due to an extramarital
affair.
The calls came less than 24 hours after Michael Palmer, 44,
publicly confessed and announced his resignation from his
parliamentary seat and membership of the ruling People’s Action
Party (PAP).
Confessing to “a serious error of judgment,” the married father of
one, said he quit “to avoid further embarrassment to the PAP and to
parliament”.
Local dailies on Thursday splashed pictures of Laura Ong, a
33-year-old married community worker as Palmer’s lover.
The resurgent political opposition immediately urged Lee to call a
by-election to fill Palmer’s seat in the Punggol East
ward.
“We strongly urge the Prime Minister to call for a by-election as
soon as possible, to ensure that the constituents of Punggol East
are democratically represented hereafter,” Singapore People’s Party
chairman Lina Chiam said in a statement.
Opposition politician Benjamin Pwee told the
Straits Times daily he was also intending to contest the seat,
possibly as an independent.
Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan said that Lee
“cannot avoid calling for a by-election... without inflicting
severe damage to his and his party’s political and moral
standing”.
Lee however gave no indication of his intentions. “The Constitution
does not require me to call a by-election within any fixed
timeframe,” Lee said.
“I will carefully consider whether to call a by-election in Punggol
East and, if so, when. I assure Singaporeans that I will make my
decision based on what is best for the constituents of the
country.”
http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=news&id=133518&heading=Asia
